TV Show Links ADD Support Group, Drug Company

A public-television documentary on attention-deficit disorder that
begins airing this week questions the financial relationship between an
ADD support group and the company that makes Ritalin, the most widely
prescribed drug to treat the disorder.

The program, to be shown nationally on PBS channels beginning Oct.
20, suggests that the group Children and Adults with Attention Deficit
Disorders has been secretive about the financial support it receives
from the Ciba-Geigy Corp., the New Jersey-based company that makes
Ritalin.

Officials of CHADD and Ciba-Geigy last week strongly disputed the
charges in the documentary and said they had never set out to hide the
fact that the company gives the group financial support.

But in the nearly hourlong program, parents say they were surprised
to find out that a group they rely on is getting money from the company
that makes the drug used in treating their children.

"It's a conflict of interest," Etta Fleischer, whose son is one of
several children featured in the documentary, says in the program. The
Fleischers, who live in Florida, give their son Ritalin, a stimulant
drug intended to combat his chronic inattentiveness and hyperactivity.
They had attended meetings sponsored by CHADD, the most prominent
advocacy and support group for people affected by ADD. But they never
knew that CHADD received money from the makers of Ritalin.

"Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?" is part of "The
Merrow Report," a documentary series on youth and learning featuring
reporter John Merrow. It likely will fuel further debate on ADD and its
treatment--often the subject of controversy.

It is estimated that 3 percent to 10 percent of school-age children
have the disorder, which is characterized by an inability to
concentrate, and, in many cases, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Concerns about the increasing number of children diagnosed with the
disorder, the schools' role in such diagnoses, and the drugs used to
treat ADD--all raised in the program--are not new. (See Education Week,
Feb. 22, 1995.)

But the PBS documentary also suggests that CHADD has hidden its
financial connections to Ciba-Geigy, and the program questions the
accuracy of some of the group's informational materials, which parents
and educators use.

'Not a Secret'

The show notes that when CHADD was founded in 1987 it had 600
members nationwide and a budget of less than $75,000. Now, the
Plantation, Fla.-based group has 35,000 members and a budget of just
over $2 million.

Ritalin, a brand-name version of methylphenidate, is the most widely
used drug for treating ADD. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
considers methyl-phenidate a controlled substance and sets yearly
production quotas. Citing shortages of the drug, CHADD, along with
several medical groups, has petitioned the agency to reclassify the
drug so that the quotas would be lifted. That petition is pending.

The show reports that since 1989 CHADD has received roughly $818,000
in "educational grants" from Ciba-Geigy. That money, which CHADD
solicited, has gone to such projects as producing a public-service
announcement for television, translating informational materials into
Spanish, and supporting the group's conference.

In interviews last week, officials of both Ciba-Geigy and CHADD said
that such a relationship was not a conflict of interest and that they
had never tried to hide their ties. The practice of drug companies
financing projects by patient-support groups is a common one, they
said, adding they had no plans to sever their relationship.

CHADD officials said that an estimated 20 percent of the group's
budget comes from grants from Ciba-Geigy and other companies that make
Ritalin competitors.

But the program points out that Ciba-Geigy's support is not
disclosed in many CHADD publications that go to parents and
teachers.

The group's executive director, Leslie B. Roth, said last week that
the grants were regularly reported to chapter coordinators and that at
last year's national conference--attended by about 2,000 people--the
group publicly thanked Ciba-Geigy for its funding. Since being
interviewed for the program, CHADD has explained its funding
connections in a member newsletter.

"This is not a secret. CHADD is not being bought," Ms. Roth said in
an interview. "We have control over the projects and our policies."

Todd P. Forte, a Ciba-Geigy spokesman, said the company gives grants
to dozens of other groups, such as the American Lung Association, whose
membership includes people who take drugs made by the company.

The program also contends that some of CHADD's informational
materials are misleading. Ms. Roth said the materials are based on the
most recent research available and the group stands by their
accuracy.

Comprehensive Treatment

The PBS program notes that CHADD has worked with the U.S. Department
of Education on ADD-related issues, including an awareness campaign the
department launched last winter.

Thomas F. Hehir, the director of the department's office of
special-education programs, appears in the documentary. He said last
week that the program implies that the department promotes the use of
drugs to treat ADD--a notion he rejected.

Department materials emphasize that medication is not effective for
all children and that treatment should include behavior management,
counseling, and teacher and parent training, he said. "There is
certainly some anecdotal evidence that the decision to medicate is
taken too lightly. It should not be," Mr. Hehir said.

Both Ciba-Geigy and CHADD criticized the PBS program as being
one-sided. But host Mr. Merrow--who formerly reported on education for
"The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour"--said last week that he stood by his
report.

Regardless, outside observers last week said the program is sure to
provoke discussion.

"This may cause some second guessing" among parents of children with
ADD, said Ginny E. Markell, the vice president for programs for the
National PTA. "Our hope is that parents seek appropriate advice."

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